Mad Madame LaLaurie: New Orleans' Most Famous Murderess Revealed

Mad Madame Lalaurie: New Orleans’ Most Haunted Legend

On April 10, 1834, firefighters broke through a padlocked attic door in the burning Royal Street mansion of Delphine and Louis Lalaurie — and uncovered a nightmare. Inside, they found enslaved people who had been chained, starved, and mutilated, a discovery that horrified New Orleans and gave rise to one of its most chilling legends.

Mad Madame Lalaurie revisits this dark chapter of French Quarter history, exploring the true story behind the woman remembered as a madwoman, slave owner, and murderess. Historians Victoria Cosner Love and Lorelei Shannon sift through rumor, fear, and fact to ask the deeper questions: Who was Delphine Lalaurie? Was she truly the monster of legend, or has history distorted the truth?

Blending historical research with cultural investigation, this book examines the enduring myths surrounding Lalaurie and the house still considered one of the most haunted places in America.

A compelling read for those fascinated by New Orleans history, true crime, or the roots of the city’s most infamous ghost stories.